Bookholder



l. SPINNER' BOOK HOLDER `Filed,0c:l..y 31, 1958 INYENTOR. n?? zzer.'

WTORNEK Nov. i7, 1942.

Patented Nov. 17, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFRECE BOOKHOLDER- Isidore Spinner, Chicago, Ill.

Application October 31, 1938, Serial No. 237,824

7 Claims.

This invention relates to means for holding books.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a book holder which will relieve the book binding of a substantial part, if not all, of the strain due to the weight of the pages of the book when the book is held in a non-horizontal position.

When the book is held in a non-horizontal position each page of the book is supported only at the back binding of the book. In books of considerable width or thickness the stress on the binding, due to the Weight of the pages, is considerable, and tends to injure the back binding. This is aggravated if the book is being subjected to jarring or shaking at the Sametime, as during shipment. Also, books are frequently placed on a table or shelf in a vertical position, with the backs of the books facing upwardly, and then other books or articles are placed on top. The weight of the other books or articles frequently places an excessive stress en the bindings of the books below, often causing breaking of the back binding.

In standard types of book bindings the covers are of greater length and width than the pages. The stack of pages are suspended at the back of the book from the Icovers. When the book rests in a vertical position on a horizontal surface, the bottom of the stack of pages is spaced from the supporting surface. The stack of pages tends to sag downwardly, often weakening, distorting, or even breaking the back of the book. It is an object of the present invention to provide a holder for one or more books with means for supporting` the bottom of the stack of pages between the covers, thus relieving the back of the book binding of at least a major part of the weight of the pages when the book is held in a non-horiozntal position.

The backs of most book bindings are curved, not flat. This is particularly true of thick, heavy books. When such a book is placed on its back in a vertical position, that is,with its back bottommost, the weight of the pages tends to flatten the back binding, frequently causing breaking ofthe binding. In the shipment of books, whether in individual packages or in large packages or boxes containing many books, the position of the package frequently changes, so that at different times a different part of the respective books is uppermost. When the book rests on its back binding, the binding is subjected to great stress. It is an object of .this invention to provide a container which will support the back of the book in its lcovers of a( book from the pages thereof.

It is a further object ofthe present invention to provide a curved support for a book,back,.which can be used in the ordinary wrapping of a book for shipment or storage, and which will support the back of the book binding against ilattening when the book rests on its back.

The attainment of the above, and further objects of the present invention, will be apparent from the .following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof:

In the drawing:

Figure `1 is a side View of a book container ernbodying the present invention, with the two parts thereof separated;

Figure 2 is a view taken along the line 2--2 of Figure 1, and looking in the direction ofthe arrow; Y

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the container, with the parts thereof in shipping position; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view corresponding t0 Figure 3 and illustrating a modified construction.

A description will now be given of the embodiment given in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

In Figure 1, a book I is shown positioned in a box or container 2, which is adapted to receive a similar, but not identical cover box 3, in telescoping relation for enclosing the book. Each of these boxes 2 or 3, may be of cardboard, pasteboard or any other suitable material. The container 2 comprises side walls 5 and 6, end walls 'l and 8,v

and a rear wall 9 suitably secured together, as by paperpasted over the same. The side walls have suitable finger indentations I0 formed therein for facilitating gripping of the book I for removal. A rectangular strip of cardboard I2 is secured tothe inner surface of each of the end walls 'I and 3. This strip is of approximately thelength of the end walls and of a width slightly narrower than the end Walls, thus forming grooves I3-I3 at opposite sides of the strips I2.

The cardboard of the strips I2 is of such thickness that the grooves I3 are of a depth approximately equal or slightly in excess of the extension of the A curved ller I5 extends along the rear wall 9. This filler includes short leg portions Iii-I6 and a curved body portion. The leg portions 'are spaced from the walls 5 6 of the container by an amount approximately equal to the thickness of a book cover and the curvature of the iiller is approximately the same as the curvatureoi the stack of pages at the iront of a closed book of the thickness for which the box is designed.

natural curvature when the book rests on its back. 55. The cover box 3 consists of side Walls l8r-49,.

a front wall 2i), and top and bottom walls 2 I-22 of a size such that the box 3 may be tted over box 2 to bring the edge 22 flush with the rear wall 9 of the box 2, as illustrated in Figure 3. A spacer strip 25 is placed in the cover -box 3, either loosely or fastened in position. The spacer strip 25 includes a curved wall 26 adapted to embrace the back of the book I.

The book I includes covers 3U and 3|, and a back binding 32 securing the leaves 33 of the book together, as is usual. The covers 30 and 3| of the book are of a greater length and of a greater Width than the pages of the book. When the book is stood upright it rests on its covers, with the stack of pages spaced fromA the support. The pages are thus held in position solely by the binding. In the case of a heavy book, this may impose an undue strain on the binding, resulting in injury thereof, especially during shipment or storage of the book.

In accordance with the present invention, the strips I2 of the box 2 are of such thickness that they extend from the book cover 3B to the book cover 3| when a book is inserted into the box, and of such a height that with the ends of the cover resting on the end walls 1 or 3 the strips I2-I2 rest on the pages between the covers, and thereby support the pages andrelieve the book binding of the stress incident thereto. Likewise, the curved ller I5 enters the space between the covers at the front of the book and supports the curved stack of pages so'that if the box containing the book is placed with the rear wall 9 horizontal. lowermost, the pages will be supported by the curved ller I5, thus. again relieving thebook binding of stress incident to supporting of 'the book. I/Vhen the cover box 3 is placed in the position as illustrated in Figure 3, the curved portion 26 of the spacer 25 fits along the back curvedV surface 32 of the book so that if the container with the bock therein is placed in a position with the front wall 20 lowermost, the book 32 will'be supported along its entire area and maintained in its proper curvature by the spacer 25. It is thus apparent that the container herein shown will preserve the book binding. The book maybe mounted in the box 2 without box 3, so that the back of the book I, which includes the title thereof, is visible. The container 2 may therefore be used not only during shipment and storage, but also when the book is on the bookshelves.

In Figure 4 I have shown an alternate arrangement for shipping the book without the use of the cover box 3. The book is mounted in the box 2 in the sameV manner as was previously described, and then theller strip 25 of the construction previously described is laid' with its curved surface 26 bearing against the curved surface 32 of the book, and then a continuous piece of stiff paper or cardboard 35 is wrapped around the box 2' and around the spacer 25 and may then be secured in place as by a strip of gummed paper tape 3l. In this instance the spacer is physically separate from the wrapper, but nevertheless the book is maintained in its wrapped position and may be mounted with any surface of the package lowermost or horizontal while at the same time preserving the book binding against injury due to the weight of the pages between the covers or due to other weights or books being placed upon the package. If desired, the curved ller I5 of Figure 4 may also be physically separate from the box or container 2.

In compliance with the requirements of the patent statutes I have herein shown and described a few preferred embodiments of the invention. It is, however, to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise constructions herein shown, the same being merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. What I consider new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A container for a book, said container comprising a casing into which a book fits, said casing having spaced grooves on the inside thereof for receiving the edges of the covers of the books, and having means forming supporting surfaces between adjacent spaced grooves for supporting the stack of pages between the book covers.

2. A container for a bound book of the type wherein the covers are larger than the pages and extend beyond the pages along at least three sides of the pages, said container having side walls adapted to-overlie substantially the entire outer surfaces of the covers of a bound book and having page supporting means constituting an integral part of the container and extending into the space between the covers at each of the said three sides and adapted to bear against the pages for supporting them between the covers.

3. A container for a bound book of the type wherein the covers are larger than the pages and extend beyond the pages, said container having side, end, and rear walls forming a box for receiving the book and having page supporting means extending into the space between the covers at a plurality of sides of the book and adapted to bear against the pages for supporting them between the covers, one of the page supporting means having a curved page supporting surface of a curvature approximately the curvature of the surface formed by the front edges of the stack of pages of the book.

4. A shipping container for a bound book of the type wherein the covers are larger than the pages and extend beyond the pages along at least three sides of the pages, said container comprising an enclosing casing for the book and having page supporting means extending into the space between the covers at each of the said three sides and adapted to bear against the pages for supporting them between the covers, one of the page supporting means having a curved page supporting surface of a curvature approximately the curvature of the surface formed by the front edges of the stack of pages of the book, and means for supporting the back of the book, said last means having a curved supporting surface bearing against substantially the entire back of the book and of a curvature approximating the curvature of the back of the book, said last means including sides extending along the longitudinal edges of the curved supporting surface for supporting those longitudinal edges.

5. A container for a bound book of the type wherein the covers are larger than the pages and extend beyond the pages along at least three sides of the pages, said container having side walls overlying and covering the book covers and having page supporting means extending into the space between the covers at each of the said three sides and adapted to bear against the pages for supporting them between the covers, and means for supporting the back of the book, said last means having a curved supporting surface bearing against substantially the entire back of the book and of a curvature approximately the curvature of the back of the book, said last means..

including sides extending along the longitudinal edges of the curved supporting surface for supporting those longitudinal edges.

6. A container for books comprising a box adapted to receive and hold a book with only the back of the book exposed whereby the book may be displayed While in the box, said box having side Walls substantially covering the book covers, and a at end Wall, the inside of the box having means forming grooves for receiving the edges of the book covers and supporting the pages between the grooves, said groove-forming and pagesupporting means being a part of the box.

'7. A container for books comprising a box adapted to receive and hold a book with only the back of the book exposed whereby the book may be `displayed while in the box, said box having side walls substantially covering the book covers, and a flat end Wall, the inside of the box having means forminggrooves for receiving the edges of the book covers and supporting the pages between the grooves, said groove-forming and page-supporting means being a part of the box, and an outer covering for adapting the container for shipment, said outer covering including a concave back adapted to bear against substantially the entire back of the book, said last means including sides extending along the longitudinal edges of the curved supporting surface for supporting those longitudinal edges and a flat outer wall on the outside of the covering opposite the concave back.

ISIDORE SPINNER. 

